#2345: Haiti-USA. Post Script of a spectator (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Ahpaly Coradin <ahpaly@hotmail.com>

I watched the Haiti-USA game with a great sense of "moment", this being my 
first time ever seeing the Haitian colors on a field.  All my life, I have 
rooted for the teams of other countries, most notably Brazil where I lived 
for some time and learned to play.  In the first few minutes of the match, I 
felt the pride and passion that so many friends of mine from other countries 
display regularly.  Every touch of the ball by Haiti sent a small chill down 
my spine.  I was proud.

Unfortunately, 15 minutes into the game, reality became clear:  Haiti was 
playing a far superior USA team and knew that it was outclassed.  The 
players, with a few exceptions, were timid with the ball and gave too much 
space to the Americans on defense, thus leading to a rather effortless 3-0 
victory for the USA.  By early in the second half, our guys looked tired and 
beaten.  I cannot say that the team was adequately prepared for the match.

As we go into tonight's match against Peru (another tough opponent), it's 
good to put our team in perspective:  Haiti's current soccer program is 
really in its infant stages, with mostly home-grown players that have no 
professional experience.  Also, Haiti's coach has very little experience at 
the top professional level.  This is all going to show against teams with 
serious professional leagues like the US, or teams with half their players 
playing in Europe like Jamaica.  I do not know how much support the team 
gets from the Haitian government, but I imagine that it's very little to 
none.  So, it's going to take time and a lot of effort from the players to 
improve by participating in tournaments like the Gold Cup.  I believe that 
an internationally experienced coach will also be required.  But that is a 
finance problem, i.e. a government problem, so it's unlikely.   Nonetheless, 
GO HAITI!!!!!!




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